When it comes to watches we are pretty picky, because after all the wrist watch is the only jewelry a man should really wear. Of course you have trends in the watch market as well. In the last couple of years the bigger the watch, the better it seemed. Ceramics also got really popular and especially black watches seem to be all the rage these last months, with every Swiss watch brand coming out with its own version. If we are not mistaken, the trend was started by Audemars Piquet with their Royal Oak Offshore line and the brand that most benefitted from the trend was probably Hublot, a brand once forgotten and suddenly again on the map.
Today we had a look again at the Patek Philippe ad campaign, which is pretty much the same since years, just like their watches. The slogan “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.” is placed on all of them, usually along with a pretty cheesy father/son portrait. Even though the images could not be less real, the ads work and are still intriguing.
The idea transmitted through the ad is genius and perfectly translates the timeless character of the brand. Let’s face it, you are not going to buy a good watch every week, so if you want something for life (and longer), then Patek Philippe is the way to go. We can definitely sign that!
Bad advertising turns out to be good advertising and if more brands out there would work having this philosophy in mind, the output would probably not be too bad either. Every once in a while there are things that your father can have in common with you and they are definitely still cool!
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baaaaad advertising! so pretentious and snotty.
It’s way better than having some celeb advertising it for you
“When it comes to watches we are pretty picky, because after all the wrist watch is the only jewelry a man should really wear.”
C’mon, who wrote this? Men shouldn’t wear jewelry beyond a watch?
I want to know…
You know better than this, to reestablish this false ruling that does nothing to further the current state of men’s fashion in the West.
Look towards the East for a better understanding of what men should and shouldn’t wear, we’re in the shadows of others and will be until we’re able to break the standards that were set for us fifty and sixty years ago by the western world.
It\’s Hublot, not Hublo. (And honestly, I think Selectism\’s taste in watches is questionable: it veers more toward fashion than the horological.)
But that\’s neither here nor there. You asked about the PP campaign…
While I don\’t like the campaign, I think its insight is smart in a way. It\’s easier to rationalize spending a large sum of money on a watch that you view as a family heirloom rather than just a piece of jewelry. Of course, it strikes me as a very middle class sentiment and think it works against the Patek brand in a way. This is a very exclusive brand; one of the top three watch manufactures. The type of person who can afford a Patek is not overly concerned with the cost of the watch. If they were just trying to sell their entry level watches with that campaign I\’d say it\’s great. But they\’re not. They\’re also trying to sell their high end watches. People who are dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars on a watch will not be moved to pull the trigger on a Patek watch purchase based on seeing that campaign.
at BlurtNYC – corrected that misspelling on Hublot. Thanks for pointing it out.
While I am hurt that you question our taste in watches, I agree with your interpretation of the watch campaign and also agree that a Patek Philippe watch with multiple complications is probably not sold because of the campaign. From a branding stand-point the campaign perfectly fits the philosophy of Patek though and while people might not be able to afford the watch displayed, it might move them to consider an entry level model from the brand.
Sorry to offend. I take it back (mostly). I went back and looked at all the watches you’ve written about. Most of them are fine watches from excellent to very good watchmakers (Mille, Urwerk, AP, Patek, Omega, Rolex). Some are good watches at a good value (Hamilton, Benz, Casio, Seiko). And some are fashion watches (Hermes, Dior). I’d say your taste in brands is 90% – 95% unquestionable. But, hey, this is a fashion blog; you have to mention fashion watches.
Ha, all good, and glad to hear that. We find it pretty hard to report about new watches, because the classics are so dominating. How many interesting new watch brands are launching these days? In recent years I can only think of Richard Mille, maybe Custo (by the son of one of the Frank Muller founders), Witt (interesting but not that great) and very few others. In the end we always fall back on the classics and thankfully they last long enough so that we can.
Then you have the fashion watches, which are mostly terrible. Dior Homme are probably still the best ones out of the bunch.
Not many new ones of interest. But don’t forget about F.P. Journe and De Bethune. I also (sort of, sometimes) like Gerald Genta.
I don’t want to be a dick ; I love selectism. It’s just that the story you posted should be better written. I swear, it’s hard to understand. Why do you suddently go back to the ad if it is a classic marketing for the brand ? You also start the last paragraph by using this totally meaningless affirmation : “Bad advertising turns out to be good advertising and if more brands out there would work having this philosophy in mind, the output would probably not be too bad either”. Who said the ad was bad ? If I’m not mistaken, the paragraph before was calling it “genius”.
Look I know this is a fashion blog but Men’s fashion, in order to be taken seriously, needs some good stories behind it in order to look like something potent, legitemate and well…masculine.
Jimonesco: point taken, the paragraph might be a little confusing. The point that was made is, that the advertising does not seem to be interesting or good at first sight, but turns out to be just what the brand stands for and is thus good advertising.
patek phillipe is without a doubt an heirloom piece and what i find intriguing though is the pretty boy father and son match–i find it a bit gay don\’t you think–or incestous with their smirks
Can we see some different color people on these ads? thats my only complaint, other than that i think simplicity and quality is key here and I really like the ad.
I really like the slogan. Always catches my attention. It makes me want to buy a Patek and giving it to my son (he is 5 and i am referring to the campaign with the little boy in it) one day is my justification for the wife !
I dont think this ad is not really intended for the mega rich. They can buy one for themselves and the their kid at the same time in the store, why wait 20/30 years later to give it to the kid. They are targeting the working professionals.
It\\\’s a great ad. Really. It gives a special value to a wristwatch that might otherwise be a commodity. From a practicakl viewpoint, you can pick up a super-accurate quartz thingy that resets itself to the atomic clock for a about $100. If you want a status watch, you buy a Rolex Oyster — because everybody recognizes them. If you\\\’re into lots of elaborate mechnical stuff, buy a Stauer, also for $100. For history and tradition, Breguet made watches for Napoleon Bonapart and probably invented the wristwatch. Somewhere I read that there are (still) 500 watch companies in Switzerland, and other than collectors, who knows one from the others?
So, this ad creates a value, family tradition, where there was none before. It justifies an expense that would otherwise be absurd. It\\\’s a brilliant piece of work. Really.
I thought i might relay a response to an email i sent Patek back in 2004, as i thought the ad they were running seemed a bit wordy and might be improved upon. Maybe i’m a bit biased,…….but i’ve always liked my “creation” better,…..although they never took me up on my offer.
……….hope some get a chuckle from the humorous “ad” suggestions.
Joe T
PS,…..i am not in advertizing, or associated with any advertizing agency.
————————————————————————————————
From: “Mandy Neuman” Add sender to ContactsTo: “Joseph Tousignant” Thank you for your email and your slogan suggestions.
On Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 04:35 PM, Joseph Tousignant wrote:
Patek Philippe Feedback
Posted:
3/24/2004 9:35:59 PM
From:
Joseph Tousignant (joejeweler@yahoo.com)
Country:
USA
Comment:
Hi……upon reading the current International Watch magazine i came across one of your ads…..and the current slogan; “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely take care of it for the next generation”.
While it does say a lot…..i found it a bit wordy, so i sat down and thought about all the things that your fine firm represents and wrote one that i thoght you might be interested in for future advertizing.
quote: “Eternity measured, one lifetime at a time…..Patek Philippe”.
If you find it can be of use to you, please use it and compensate me only what might be considered “scale” rate, if there is such a thing. This was my serious, and i thought the best, of what i came up with. Let me know if you have any interest in using it.
A few others that i had fun coming up with were:
“Don’t pass on the Patek….just pass it on when the time comes.”
“Eternity measured, a watch to be treasured…..Patek Philippe!”
“Patek Philippe…..the watch you wear because the others just tell time.”
“You wear a watch to tell time…..you wear a Patek because you can tell the difference.”
“Dreaming of a Patek Philippe?…….sorry, that NEVER changes!”
“Patek Philippe…the watch of dreams you take to sleep.”
“Quality, Pride, Craftsmanship, History…..yeah, time for a Patek Philippe.”
….and finally, a couple for the humorous minded:
“Patek Philippe…….to get a better movement you’ll need a laxative!”
“Time to go PP……’cause even big kids need a reminder.”
,,,,thanks for listening, and i look forward to hearing from you if you like any of the Patek slogans….
Joseph Tousignant
9 Lisha Kill Rd
Schenectady, New York 12304
USA
phone (518) 869-1856
Note: Address is updated over the one originally relayed to Patek in 2004, as i have moved.
I saw the ad in a real magazine. It is stunning. It really captures the enthusiasm, the idea of having a real luxury watch. High luxury watches have nothing to do with fashion or sport (this is no Tag Heurer or Dolce and Gabana watch), they are meant to last, and the older they are the more value they have. It is about a history, something that can be transmitted from a generation to another. Patek Phillip understood actually the more simple the message is, the better it is.
For those who don\’t like it. I think it is just normal: they are no Patek Phillip buyers, customers. Patek Phillip doesn\’t target them! Patek Phillip targets people with a very high revenue and who are really keen in watchmaking.
These ads always subtly creep me out. The model posing as the \
These ads always subtly creep me out. The model posing as the “son” is clearly at least 20 if not older, yet they put this height difference in as if he’s still undergoing puberty, just to make it obvious – “See, the shorter one’s the son, in case you weren’t sure!”
Previous comment cut off due to Captcha hijinks.
” When it comes to watches we are pretty picky, because after all the wrist watch is the only jewelry a man should really wear.”
Before timepieces started existing in the world, men had been wearing all kinds of jewelry made of animal bone, shell and all stone…
‘You don’t really own a Patek Phillippe, you merely look at its advertising”.
The ads are effective in the sense that it addresses an audience relatively new to the concept of “heirloom”. But what few seem to realize is that, until the relatively recent push by the manufacturer to “promote” the product ( in several forms including buying up, auctioning and bidding on their own property to elevate perceived “value”), Patek was a name familiar to very few and respected for it’s superior mechanical quality and understated aesthetics. The ads suggest a connection with “old money” but is clearly speaking to the “new”. And from this perspective appears to be following in the footsteps of Rolex with it’s image.
Good advertising. The color schemes of the watches match the personality of the models’ in the photo. Black is always a more fun color, hence “cooler” tieless father. The slogan answers a question that is repeatedly being asked of product designers, “How do we Design sustainably?” That product must become part of the family, an heirloom.